Foundation Studies Program (Standard) - Arts (X0F:1) (0100808) + Diploma of Arts - Gender and Diversity (A1A) (0100746)

Foundation Studies Program (Standard) - Arts (X0F:1) (0100808): The Foundation Studies program is a direct academic pathway to first-year undergraduate degree study, or an equivalent. The program acts as a bridging course for international students who wish to study a university undergraduate degree course but who don’t yet meet academic requirements and/or have the English language skills for tertiary study.

To successfully complete the program, students must achieve a 50% pass in all units, including English.

Upon successful completion of the course, graduates can enter one of the University of Tasmania’s undergraduate degree courses.

Diploma of Arts - Gender and Diversity (A1A): The Diploma of Arts provides students with opportunities to interpret human culture and behaviour from different perspectives and periods. Their studies will explore today’s big questions. They will learn how to support the social and economic development of the human race and/or to be immersed in creativity, performance and innovation.

This award is designed to allow students to choose their path: it can be the first year of Bachelor of Arts study, or they may enroll in this degree to pursue their passion and undertake one of the majors in the Bachelor of Arts. The Diploma of Arts gives them the flexibility to choose from a wide range of subjects with over twenty named majors and minors, they can select subjects to build their knowledge, and electives to enhance skills.

In Gender & Diversity program, students will be immersed in an interdisciplinary exploration of the meaning and impact of gender, race, and sexuality. Assumptions about sex, gender and race have influenced everything from most fundamental understandings of what it is to be human to ancient poetry to contemporary fashion. They will become familiar with a variety of theoretical approaches to the subject and will be given a range of methodological tools to help them understand those cultural assumptions and practices which have shaped their lived experiences as gendered, racialised beings.

The core units in Gender & Diversity examine questions of identity, power and change, including how understandings of human bodies and sexuality have changed over time. Students will analyse the various ways that masculinities and femininities are enacted in the world, and develop a critical awareness of the gendered and racial dynamics which influence these masculinities and femininities. All human beings live within a particular gender order and racial system: to study gender & diversity is to become more aware of the possibilities and constraints of these structures and their effect on their life and the world’s people and processes.

Knowledge gained in this major will prepare students for work in all kinds of settings where an appreciation of diversity matters. This includes the community sector, equity and diversity units in businesses and institutions, discrimination law and human resources.